Title
General Architectural, Engineering and Consultation Services (B)
Explanation
This Purchasing solicitation was a joint effort between CRA, the City (Public Works and Facilities), and GRU with review and approval by the Assistant City Attorney and the Utilities Attorney. The goal was to attract more firms by streamlining the process, resulting in a single contract with the firm for use by CRA, the City, and GRU. Historically each entity issued its own solicitation for continuing contracts in compliance with CCNA. The purpose of the contracts is to provide staff augmentation when internal resources are already being fully utilized, the internal technical capabilities are not available or third party input is desired from professionals from various disciplines.
Utilities Purchasing issued a Request for Statement of Qualifications (RFSQ) to eighty firms and posted the RFSQ on GRU's website. The RFSQ contains options for two additional one-year extensions. Labor rates may still be adjusted annually, based in part on the CPI, with the concurrence of CRA, the City, and GRU. Fifty-one firms responded of which two were no-bids, one was non-responsive, and forty-eight were qualified. Over half of the qualified firms are small, minority-owned or woman-owned businesses. The list of qualified firms is attached and includes a notation for the business classification.
As with all requirements for these professional services, CRA, the City, and GRU will award work to a firm on a project specific basis, and will award each project based upon an evaluation of a firm's understanding of the project scope, specific expertise and ability to complete the project, as well as the project completion time and cost as reflected by proposed level of effort. Staff will issue separate requests for professional services when it is deemed to be in the best interest of CRA, the City, or GRU. For projects with a cost estimated to exceed two million dollars, a separate RFSQ will be issued requesting project specific submittals from the list of qualified professionals with the ranking submitted to the City Commission for approval.
Fiscal Note
Funding for the projects for which design or consultation services are required have been budgeted in the Capital Improvements Budgets of CRA, the City, and GRU departments requiring these services for FY 2015 and will be budgeted in future years as required.
Recommendation:
The City Commission:
1) Approve the listing of qualified architectural, engineering and consultation firms willing to negotiate agreements for the provision of design, engineering or consultation services associated with CRA, the City, and GRU facilities and City Commission approved Capital Improvement Projects or other projects that may emerge;
2) Authorize the CRA Executive Director, City Manager and General Manager, or their designees, to initiate contract negotiations with the qualified firms in accordance with the Consultants' Competitive Negotiations Act (CCNA);
3) Authorize the CRA Executive Director, City Manager and General Manager, or their designees, upon successful negotiations, to execute agreements for professional services for a term extending through September 30, 2017, subject to approval of the City Attorney as to form and legality, in an amount not to exceed budgeted amounts for professional architectural, engineering or consultation services.